Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-12
THE DEBATE
On the Inter-Sta Commerce Bill in the
Senate Yesterday.

Senate Yesterday.
WASHINGTON, January lin the
Senate to-day Mr.. Beck resumed the debate
ON the Interstate Commerce bill. The
intelligent judgement of the country, he
said, would approve it-nOt because it was
all that the people had right to demand,
or because it gave them justice, but be-
cause (although falling greatly below the
standard in both these regards) it was
beginning, good long step in the right
direction, which might be added to and
supplemented in the future and might he
by the light ofexperience, perfected so as
to be absolutely right and effective The
bill went no further than the English law
regulating railroads, except that the
latter did not prohibit pooling but required
such agreements to he submitted to the
Court of Commissioners and to be abso-
lutely free from injury to the interests of
the people. 1t was strictly in sliue, too,
with the principles of the common law.
In conclusion he said that it remained
TO BE SEEN
whether corporate power was so intrenched
in the Senate that the pending bill was to
share the fate of its predecessors. Mr..
Harris, one of the three Senate
Conferees, made an argument
in favor of the bill. The
country, he said, had for more than ten
years and still demanded that the carrying
trade be fairly and Justly remedied by the
Government. The construction sought to
be given the fourth section, as to the long
aud short haul, was simply absurd. The
plain meaning of the section was that the
carrier should not demand 4 larger gross
sum for hauling a car load OF grain, or
other freight, over part of his line than is
demanded for hauling II similar car load Of
the same class of freight over its whole
line One effect Of it would be to put an
end to those competitions for through
freight, known as
"RATE WARS"
when railroad company was made to
understand that the law prohibited it from
charging greater sum over part of Its
line than it demanded for its whole line il
would he reluctant to commit the linan-
cial suicide involved in the through freights
which were not effectually fixed by angry,
unreasonable and reckless rate wars. 1t
would allow fair and healthy competi-
tiOn, and would fix rates on its through
traffic that would be the standard of its
maximum local rates.
Mr. Mcpherson asked Mr.. Harris wheth
er, in his opinion, the natural effect Of the
fourth section would, or would not be to
increase through rates.
Mr.. Harris--"l am satisfied that the
effect of the bill will be to prevent what is
known as rate wars, which sometimes re-
iuce through rates to a ruinous point, and
they ought to be prevented. But as to
honest, legitimate and fair through rates,
there is not in my opinion feature of the
bill that will necessarily increase through
rates."
On the contrary think the probabilities
are that they will be lower, but at all
events they will be lower.
Mr.. McPherson-'I am very mnch
Obliged to the Senator for that answer. The
inevitable result, therefore, is that unless
every railroad company in the country goes
into bankruptcy the through rates must
be fixed at points that will give fair and
equitable compensation for the local bus
mess. In other words the through rates
must be
EQUITABLE AND COMPENSATORY.
To-day ninty per cent of the exported
products Of the country rs carried by the
railroads at rates which scarcely pay the
cost of doing the work. That is what
the Senator complains Of-that the through
rates are too low and that the local rates
are made comparatively high so as to pay
dividends Now, if the local rate is made
reasonable, in the same sense that the
through rate is made reasonable, the nat
ural consequence is that the through rate
will he made larger.
MR.. CAMDEN
asked Mr.. Mcpherson whether there was
any reason why the grain shipper in West
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana or Illinois should
he Disseminated against in favor of the
grain shipper whose product was carried
1000 miles. 1t occurred to him that the
fact was lost sight of that were other sec
tions of the country that supplied pro-
duets for exports except the tar western
States.
Mr. Mcpherson replied that that dis
elimination was what he wanted to guard
the Senator's constituents agaginst. There
was no man who would not say that a
rate
FROM WEST VIRGINIA To THE sEABOARD,
as high rs the rate from Chicago, would be
an unreasonable rate. Therefore the nat
ural consequence would he that through
rates must be increased in order that there
might be equitable and reasonable rates
charged for the shorter distance.
Mr.. Camden-I think the bill will in
crease through rates, because through
rates are too low in proportion TO local
rates.
Mr.. Salisbury spoke in favor Of the
bill.
Mr.. Cullom repeated the notice hereto
fore given by him that he would ask the
Senate to remain in session tomorrow till
the bill was disposed OF. After an executive
session the Senate adjourned.
nEXy RnING THE FAITHFUL